Solihull Jazz and Blues Festival.

If you're looking to a) Celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee or b) Escape the Queen's Diamond Jubilee then a trip down Birmingham way may be the answer.

Solihull in the West Midlands is set to get visitors jumping and jiving at the first-ever Solihull Jazz and Blues Festival which runs from Friday 1st- Monday 4th June 2012.

Organised by Solihull Business Improvement District (BID) with support from the legendary Jim Simpson from Big Bear Music, probably the oldest independent record label in the UK; the festival is designed to bring local residents, visitors and jazz and blues aficionados together to enjoy some of the most-popular and accomplished performers on the circuit across the four day event.

There will be performances from Tipitina; Broombusters; 52 Skidoo; The Fabulous Boogie Boys; Val Wiseman, Simon Spillett and Roy Forbes with their Quartets; The Brian Newton Big Band...and the fabulously-named Ricky Cool and Hoola Boola Boys who count music legend Robert Plant amongst their fans.

The weekend kicks off with a launch party on the evening of Friday 1st June with bands playing all evening on a specially-constructed stage in the town’s Jubilee gardens, with visitors enjoying the music from the many bars and restaurants overlooking the stage. A second stage will open in the town’s Mell Square from Saturday morning (June 2nd) and there will also be performers popping up across the town centre.

Also on the Saturday, the infectious honky-tonk sound of Mardi Gras will fill the town as a New Orleans-style processional band, followed by dancers and colourful characters, creates a carnival feel in the High Street. The procession will also include stilt walkers, flamenco dancers, Bhangra dancers and some brilliant Jitterbug performers.

Shirley Sturzaker, Director of Solihull BID said: “It’s going to be an amazing weekend. There’s no sound that says summer is here more than a foot-tapping jazz band and nothing quite as relaxing as listening to the wistful lyrics of a blues singer.

“We are lucky to have some of the most-accomplished jazz and blues performers in the country taking to the stage in Solihull across the weekend and, if you add in the Mardi Gras-style procession and Jubilee Street Party, it promises to be a fabulous event for the whole family.”

Jim Simpson, owner of Big Bear Music, added: “This promises to be a fun weekend with lots of straight-ahead jazz and blues in a relaxed setting with stages just a few minutes apart. By and large the music is jazz from the swing era, and blues that jumps and jives.”

Lance.

Above info from Deborah Smith -  www.wordsmith-communication.co.uk